Holder for cone top cans



' July 3o, 1957 R. s. woLowmz 2,801,001

HOLDER FOR CCNE TOP CANS Filed Narh 4, 1955 ffy f 24 29 l... l fg il" sI I Q.\ i L l /j United States Patent O HOLDER FOR CONE TOP CANS RichardS. Wolowicz, Chicago, Ill., assignor to Container Corporation ofAmerica, Chicago, Ill., a corporation of Delaware Application March 4,1955, Serial No. 492,123

1 Claim. (Cl. 20d-65) The present invention relates to holders orcartons formed of folding paperboard or similar flexible material,adapted for the retention of capped articles such as cone top beveragecans.

A principal object of the invention is to provide a simple andinexpensive holder for cone or tapered top cans and similar beveragecontainers which will eiectively display the end cans or othercontainers of a row of two or more cans or other containers held withinthe holder, and which will securely retain the cans or other containerstherein against likelihood of becoming displaced and falling from theholder. A further object of the invention is to provide a holder of theopen end type, particularly adapted to retain securely the upper ends ofcone top beverage cans closed with a flanged closure cap. Other and morespecific objects and advantages will become apparent as the descriptionproceeds.

In the drawings, illustrating a preferred embodiment of the invention:

Fig. l is a perspective view of the improved holder illustrating tapertop cans held in place inside the holder; and

Fig. 2 is a View of a blank from which the holder is constructed.

The holder is preferably made of a single blank of foldable paperboardwhich is secured in tubular form to provide a top wall, two side wallsand a bottom wall, defined from each other by crease lines. The bottomportion of the cans or other containers to be held inside of the holdermay be retained in any desired manner. The top portions of thecontainers, herein shown as provided with a closure cap with a dependingflange, are retained by apertured tabs or aps carried by the top wall.The aperture in the tab is so designed that the inwardly directed edgeportions of the tab, inside the aperture, engage securely beneath theflange of the closure cap.

Referring more particularly to the drawings, the holder blank, indicatedas a whole at 10, provides side walls 11 and 12, top and bottom wall 13and 14 and attaching flap 15, hingedly related to one another alongcrease lines 16, 17, 18 and 19.

As indicated in Fig. 1, the ap 15 is suitably secured, as by means ofadhesive, to the free end of side wall 11 to form a tubular, open endholder. The length of the side walls and top and bottom walls in thedirection of the axis through the open ends of the holder is preferablyapproximately equal to the sum of the diameters of the containers to beheld in the holder less one diameter, so that in practice the two endcontainers in the row of containers within the holder will each projectoutwardly of the holder, exposing a substantial portion of theirsurfaces. Preferably approximately one-half of each of the outercontainers in the row of containers will project beyond the ends of theholder.

For the purpose of retaining the lower ends of the container in theholder any desired means may be ems 2,801,001 Patented July 30, 1957 ICCployed. When it is desired to retain in the holder beverage cans withchimed or recessed bottoms, this is accomplished as illustrated, byproviding at each end of the bottom wall a retaining tab 20 hinged tothe bottom wall along crease line 21, these tabs are preferably cutsomewhat narrower than 'the bottom wall so as to clear the chime of thecan adjacent the hinge of the tab. The tab preferably is of a lengthapproximately equal to onehalf the can diameter so that when each tab isfolded inward it will be in position to engage `the interior of the canchime, retaining the bottom portion of the can in place within theholder and allowing approximately half of the can to project beyond thehinge line of its retaining tab.

For the purpose of retaining the upper portion of the can from outwarddisplacement from the holder the top wall 13 is preferbaly formed ateach end with a tab extension 24 hinged to the top wall along creaselines 25 which is interrupted at the mid-portion. The tab 24 has aninwardly directed edge portion 25 formed by a curved slit 26, the endsof which terminate at the crease or hinge line 25 along which the tab 24is joined to the top Wall 13. The slit is preferably, although notnecessarily, curved to conform generally with the contour of a angeclosure cap on the can or other container to be retained in the holder.

The outwardly extending portion of the top wall 13, indicated at 27,lying inside the slit 26 is preferably left as a rigid extensionalthough, if desired, the crease line 25 could extend across thisportion. The portion 27 is adapted to extend over the closure cap of thecontainer to be contained in the holder.

The height of the side walls and the width of the bottom and top wallsare preferably such that these walls will engage closely against thebottom, top and sides of the container to be contained in the holder.

In order to facilitate the engagement of the inwardly directed edge ofthe tab 24 with the closure cap of a container in the holder theinwardly directed edge portion is preferably, although not necessarily,provided with a plurality of short radial slits 28, 28 which form smallsupplementary deflectable portions or tabs on this inwardly directededge portion of the tab 24.

The outer contour of each tab 24 is preferably rounded to conformgenerally to the configuration of the can to be retained in the holderbut such outer contour of the tab may be of any desired shape. n

In loading the holders with containers, such as cone top beverage canswith ange closure caps, it is only ward and place a row of cans in theholder with the outer cans projecting partially therefrom and with thenecessary to turn the bottom retaining aps 20, 20 inbottom retainingtabs in engagement with the bottom chimes. When placing the cans in theholder the top tabs 24, 24 are permitted to remain generally in theplane of the top wall. The cans will come to rest in the holder with thetwo outer cans in position so that the respective crease lines 25 aredisposed approximately centrally over the closure caps. With the cans inthis position the tabs 24, 24 are pressed downward to cause the inwardlydirected edge portion 25 of each tab 24 to engage snugly beneath theange of the closure cap. When the supplementary tab portions 29, 29 areemployed, such supplementary tabs are caused to be deflected slightlyfrom the plane of the main tab 24 to facilitate engagement beneath theclosure cap.

While the present description sets forth a preferred embodiment of theinvention, numerous changes may be made in the construction withoutdeparting from the spirit of the invention, and it is therefore desiredthat the present embodiment be considered in all respects asillustrative and not restrictive, reference being had to the appendedclaim rather than to the foregoing'description to indicate the scope ofthe invention.

I claim:

A package comprising a row of cone top cans, each of Which-has Va capclosure formed Vwith a downwardly Vdi-V rected ange, andaholder'therefor, said `holder being formed of foldable paperboard andincluding top and bottoni walls substantially equal in Width to thediam-v eter Vof said cans, two oppositely disposed side wallssubstantially equal in height to the height of said cans, said wallsbeing hingedly interconnected to provide an open end tube encirclingsaid row centrally thereof withY the end cans of said row partiallyextending beyond said tube, means for retaining the lower portions ofthe end cans of said row within said tube, a retaining tab integrallyand hinged joined'to said top wall atjech end thereof,

an opening in each tab adjacent saidtop'wall, said tabs References Citedin the tile of this patent UNITED STATESY PATENTS 2,523,986 Foster Sept.26, 1950` 2,637,476 Empkie May 5, 1953 2,654,474 Ringler Oct. 6, 19532,690,839 Robinson Oct. v5, 1954 2,705,556 Ringler k Apr. 5, 1955

